Embraer records sales of eight Ipanema agricultural aircraft in January

Embraer's agricultural aviation division ended the month of January with the sale of eight EMB-203 Ipanema aircraft, equivalent to a third of the total traded throughout 2020. The good result is being driven by the favorable performance of Brazilian agribusiness and the technological innovations incorporated in the new version of the aircraft.   

With almost 1.500 units delivered, Ipanema leads the agricultural segment with a 60% share of the national market. Its leading role in precision agriculture combines high technology and tradition in a product that continually evolves to meet the requirements of high productivity and low operating costs.

The Ipanema 203, the most current model in the series, features improvements such as replacing wing parts with others with new geometry and more resistant stainless steel material. This solution further postpones possible wear and tear generated by the severe natural conditions of field operations and maintenance expenses over the years. The new aerial sprayer also has a new design on the engine hood, with new air outlet grilles, ensuring greater cooling.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Ipanema's first flight, carried out in 1970, a painting commemorating the date was created for the aerial sprayer, which now leaves the factory with a new visual identity. The colors of the Brazilian flag were chosen to highlight this 100% national aeronautical project.

About Ipanema 

The history of Ipanema begins in the late 1960s, when the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture signed a contract with Embraer for the serial manufacture of an agricultural aircraft in the country, with the aim of modernizing the sector by making new production techniques available. 

The aircraft initially appears as a project by engineers at the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (ITA), in São José dos Campos (SP) and is tested for the first time at Fazenda Ipanema, in the municipality of Sorocaba (SP). In July 1970, the Ipanema made its first flight and in 1972 it began to be produced commercially.
 
The most current version, the Ipanema 203, is powered by renewable energy (ethanol) and was certified in 2015. This model guarantees greater agility, efficiency, productivity, in addition to the lowest operating cost in its category. With its wingspan increased to 13,3 m and improved wing profile, it allows for a greater range of pesticide deposition, reaching a range of 24 meters with very high quality proven scientifically and in the field. 

Mainly used in the spraying of fertilizers and agricultural pesticides, Ipanema has, throughout all these decades, avoided losses due to crushing in the crop and made operations more flexible in regions with irregular terrain. The aircraft is also used in sowing, vector and larvae control, and river settlement activities.